Switch



H E. NORVIEL SWITCH April 14, 1931.

Filed Dec. 9, 1929 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IHARRY NORVIEL, F ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 DELCO-REIIIY CORPORA-TION, 0F ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SWITCH Applicationfiled December 9, 1929. Serial No. 412,739.

This invention relates to switches designed to control a plurality ofcircuits. 7

One of the objects of the instant invention is to provide a-s-witchstructure of the rotary or ,oscillatable type adapted to be operated bya push-pull movement of the controller. 2 A further object of thisinvention is to provide a push-pull actuator adapted to move a contactactuator assembly into a plurality of positions.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to'the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. '1' is a. rear elevation of a switch device involving the instantinvention, and is substantially that view illustrated by the arrow 1 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the switch device substantiallyas indicated by theline and arrows 22 of Fig. 1.

2, Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the switch device substantially asindicated by the line and arrows 3-3 of Fig. 2, the 0011 tact platebeing shown in the off position.

Fig; 4 is a similar view along the same line,

b 0 but showing the contact plate moved into one of the circuitcompleting positions. Fig. 5 isa view similar to Fig. 4, with thecontact plate moved to a second circuit complating position.

Fig. 6 is-an elevational view of the switch structure substantially asindicated by the arrow 6 of Fig. 2. c '7 is a section through the switchdevice showing the actuator assembly in elevation substantially asindicated by the line and arrows 7-7 of Fig. 2'.

Fig. 8 is a detail of the driving cup contributing to the instantinvention.

With particular reference to the drawing, 20 indicates an attachingbracket which may be formed, of sheet metal to provide a shelf,

portion 21 and apertured attaching ears 22 whi'chprovide means forattaching the structure to a dash orinstrument panel 23 as by 59 thebolt and nut device 24. To the shelf portion 21 of the bracket issecured a cup shaped housing 25 that has a back wall 26 in con junctiverelation with the shelf 21 and apertured at 27 for the reception andactuation of a driving cup presently to be described. A switch back 28providing a plurality of terminal lugs 29 exterior of the back 28, andfixed contact points 30 within the case, operates to close the housing25 and may be secured thereon by tangs 31 circumferentially spaced aboutthe housing and received in grooves or notches 32 of the switch back.The switch back when assembled with the housing 25 forms a substantiallyparallel wall with the bottom 26, and is apertured at 33 coaxial withthe aperture 27 for reception and guidance of the driving cup heretoforereferred to.

Within the housing provided by the cup 25 and the switch back 28, thereis a contact actuating assembly mounted for rotatable or oscillatableengagement with the fixed contacts 30 of the switch back, and that hasdriving engagement with the cup heretofore mentioned. This assemblycomprises the contact plate 35 here illustrated as of tri angular form,at the several apeXes of which are formed the semi-spherical contactpoints or buttons 36 adjacent attaching tangs 37 that have seating andclinching engagement with notches 38 circumferential'ly disposed aboutthe periphery of a dielectric supporting plate 39, as illustrated inFigs.r2 and 7. Both the contact plate and the dielectric member arecentrally apertured as at 40V and 41 respectively for passage of theheretofore mentioned driving cup.

At points intermediate the notches 38 of the plate 39, the same isprovided with additional notches 42 which loosely receive the drivingtongues 43 of a driving plate 44, that is also apertured at 45 fordisposition about the said driving cup. In addition to the tongues 43the plate 44 is provided with extensions or lugs 46 that are concentricwith the central aperture 45 and operate to centrailly dispose a spring47 interposed between the said plate 44 and the dielectric member 39prior to assembling the same. The contact supporting member 39 and thedriving will be maintained in engagement with the surface of the switchback 28, while the driving plate 44 will be maintained in engagementwith the bottom 26 of the housing 25.

This provides for slight axial movementof the contact supportingassembly relative to the switch back and case bottom as the contactplate moves over. any inequalities of surface on the switch back.

, In addition to the above appointments the driving plate 44 is providedwith a tongue '50 projecting into the central aperture 45,

and the bottom of the case 26 is provided with a similar tongue 51projecting inwardly from the edge of the aperture 27. These tonguemembers provide for mating and driving en gagement between the housingand the driving plate through the cooperation of a driving cup 60,. thedetails of which are IllIlS'. trated in Fig. 8. The driving cup 60 is ofsubstantial dimension to be freely movable through the aligned aperturesof the switch back 28 and the casing bottom 26, and the side wallsthereof are provided with slots 61 and 62 whichhave interfittingengagement with the tongues 50 and 51 respectively, just described. Thedriving cup is mounted in the structure so asto be freely movable in alineal direction through the apertures 27 and 33 of the housing and backrespectively, and so that the tongue 50 will be disposed within the slot61 while the tongue '51 will be disposed in the slot 62.

To the head or bottom 63 of the cup, a coupling'member 64 is secured asby a rivet 65, and provides the attaching ears 66 to which a push-pullcontroller may be attached and led through the instrument panel 23substantially as indicated in dashed lines of Fig. 2. The couplingmember 64' provides the oppositely disposed ears 67 which operate vasstops against the shelf 21 of the attaching bracket. It will be notedfrom the illustration of Figs. 2 and 8,that the slots 61 r and 62 are ofdilferent character, that is, the

groove 61 is one of spiral 'formation,while the slot 62 is straight.These slots in cooperation with the respective tongues 50 and 51 providea difierential splined engagement between the cup bottom and the contactactuator assembly. One of the slots and'tongue provisions operates torestrain the driving cup 60 from rotation relative to the bracket andhousing 25 in its movement therethrough, while the other slot and tongueengagement operates to cause a change in the angular position of thecontact support assembly relative to the switch back upon movement ofthe driving cup through the parts 26 and 28 of the enclosure.

It is obvious from the drawings that movement of the controller, andthus the driving cup as illustrated in Fig. 2 will produce a rotation oroscillation of the contact plate 35 from the oif position as illustratedin Fig. 3 to the first circuit closing position illustrated in Fig. 4and thence to the second circuit closing position illustrated in Fig. 5,whenever the controller is moved from the inward position illustrated inFig. 2 to that of the fully withdrawn position. In Figs. 3, 4 and'5 therelative position of the tongues 50 and51 are shown in dotted'lines forthe purpose of illustrating the relative-movement of the parts thattakes place when the switch device is actuated. Of course duringmovement of the controller from the extended position to that of'fullydepressed, or the reverse of the movement that has just been outlined,the contact plate 35 will be returned to the off position as illustratedin Fig. 3.

- While the form of embodiment of the pres ent invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming 7 within the scope of theclaims which follow. 1 i

What is claimed is as follows.

1. In an electric switch the combination comprising, a casing, a bracketsupporting said casing in spaced relation to a supporting panel, aswitch back closing said casing,

and a drivingcup fixed for axial movement through said bracket, housingand switch back, said driving cup supporting a coupling member to whichan actuating rod may have i driving engagement from the reverse side ofsaid panel.

2. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a casing andswitch back providing a housing having substantially parallel walls,said walls being coaxially apertured and supporting a driving cup foraxial movement therethrough, adriving cup, contact closing meanssupported for rotation relative to said cup, said driving cup havingdifferential spline engagement with said case and contact closing means.7

3. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a casing andswitch back providing a housing having substantially parallel walls,said wallsbeing coaxially apertured and supporting a drivingcup foraxialmovement therethrough, a driving cup, contact closing means supportedfor rotation relative to said cup, said driving cup having differentialspline engagement with said case and contact closing means, thedifierential spline engagement causing the contact closing means torotate upon'lineal'motion of said cup. I

4. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing andswitch back providing a pair of parallel walls, a driving cup fixed forlineal movement through said parallel walls and supporting circuitclosing means within the housing, said driving cup having differentialspline engagement with said housing and circuit closing means, whereby achange in angular position of the circuit closing means relative to saidswitch back is produced, upon lineal movement of said driving cup.

5. Inan electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing and aswitch back enclosing contact completing means, a driving cup fixed formovement through apertures in opposite walls of said enclosures, saiddriving-cup providing slots engaged by tongues on said housing andcontact completing means, whereby the contact completing means is causedto move angularly upon rectilineal movement of said cup.

6. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a casing, adriving cup movable through said casing, means in said casing supportinga plurality of contacts, contact closing means within said casingmovable about said driving cup, and means coupling said driving cup withsaid contact closing means, whereby rotation of the latter is producedupon reciprocation of said cup.

7. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a switch caseprovided with a switch back, said case and back being centrallyapertured, and a driving cup with a coupling mounted for movement insaid apertures, contact closing means within the case movable about saiddriving cup, said driving cup and case having cooperating provisionwhereby the cup is restrained from rotation relative to said housing,and means whereby said contact closing means is caused to rotaterelative to said cup upon movement of said cup through the apertures ofsaid housing.

8. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a casing, andmeans providing a switch back for said casing, a driving cup mounted formovement through an aperture of said casing, and contact closing meanswithin the casing driven by said cup, said casing providing a tongueextending in a slot of said cup to prevent rotation of said cup relativeto said housing.

9. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing, adriving cup mounted for movement through said housing, and a drivingplate mounted for actuation by said cup, a movable contact supported bysaid driving plate and being axially movable thereof, a switch back forsaid housing providing terminals engageable tact plate, and meanscarried plate urging said contact ment with said terminals,

with said conby said driving plate into engagesaid driving plate atorassembly including providing locating and centering means for saidurging means.

10. In an-electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing andswitch back enclosing contact actuating means, said contact lugs stuckup from said drive plate for 10- eating said urging means.

11. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing andswitch back onclosinga contact actuator assembly, said actua drive plateand a delectric contact supporting plate, means disposed between saiddriving plate and contact supporting plate for urging the plate intoengagement with said switch back, said driving plate having provisionscoaxial thereof for positioning said urging means.

12. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a dielectricmember supporting a contact plate, said contact plate formed to providea plurality of contact points and having extensions at said points forsecuring said contact plate to the dielectric member.

13. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing andswitch back enclosing a contact actuator assembly, said actuatorassembly including a drive plate and a dielectric contact supportingplate, a contact plate, said contact plate formed to provide a pluralityof contact points and having extensions at said points for securing saidcontact plate to the dielectric member.

14. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a casing, abracket supporting said casing in spaced relation to a supporting panel,a switch back closing said casing,

and a driving cup fixed for axial movement through said bracket, housingand switch back, said driving cup supporting a coupling member to whichan actuating rod may have driving engagement from the reverse side ofsaid panel, and means manifest upon movement of said cup for actuating acontact closing member into and out of engagement with portions of saidswitch back.

15. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing and aswitch back enclosing contact completing means, a driving cup fixed formovement through apertures in opposite walls of said enclosure, said cuphaving oppositely disposed slots in able engagement with tongues of saidhousing and circuit completing means, whereby said circuit completingmeans is actuated upon movement of said driving cup.

16. In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing and aswitch back enclosing contact completing means, a driving cup fixed formovement through apertures in opposite walls of said enclosures, saidcup having slots in cooperable engagement with cooper- I nature.

tongues of said housing and circuit completing means, whereby saidcircuit completing v'm'eans is rotated upon movement vof said drive cup;

17 In an electric switch, the combination comprising, a housing and aswitch back enclosing contact completing means,'a driving cup fixed formovement'through apertures in opposite walls of said enclosures, saidcup having slots in c-ooperable engagement with tongues of said houslngand circuit conipleting means, said slots providing differential splineengagement between the casing and circuit completing means, whereby saidcircuit completing means is rotated relative to said casing upon linealmovement of said cup. 1 18. In an electric switch, the combinationcomprising, a housing and aswitch back enclosing contact completingmeans, a driving cup fixed for movement through apertures in oppositewalls of said enclosure, said cup having slots in cooperable engagementwith tonguesof said housing and circuit completing means, one of saidcup slots being straight and another slot being spiral, wherebydifi'erential spline connection is made between the casing and thecircuit completing means.

19. In an electric switch, means for optionally completing circuitstherethrough, comprlslng incombination, a casing, a driving cup, and acircuit completing assembly,

said cup having differential spline connection with said case andcircuit completing means, whereby said circuit completing meansismovable into selective positions by predeterminedmovement of said cup.

.In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my sig- HARRY E. NORVIEL.

